Chapter 1210: Betrayal

Zu'an's eyes widened as he gazed at the woman before him. A soldier, and such a primal one at that. Her leather armor and skirt looked incredibly wild.

But was this really Mo Xi's style?

Of course, he had heard of Mo Xi. She was the favored concubine of Jie, the last ruler of the Xia Dynasty, and the first femme fatale recorded in Chinese history whose actions supposedly led to the downfall of a kingdom. It was widely believed that the mighty Xia Dynasty collapsed because Jie doted on her excessively.

For this reason, she was also known as the foremost of the Four Femme Fatales.

The other three were Daji of Shang, Bao Si of Zhou, and Li Ji of Jin.

He was surprised to find he had unknowingly acquired two of them.

He didn't much care for the notion that these women caused courtly chaos and led to national collapse.

The term "femme fatale" had existed since ancient times, but were those women truly responsible for the demise of kingdoms?

Ultimately, it was always the kings who were incompetent and corrupt, leading to a decaying court, yet they shifted all the blame onto these women.

What he was more concerned about now was something else. He had always imagined the famous Mo Xi to be a captivating beauty like Daji, but why did she resemble a female general?

She possessed little of the seductive grace he expected; instead, she was full of heroic spirit.

Was King Jie actually into military women?

Perhaps because she was summoned through soul resonance, a piece of information surfaced in his mind.

"Mo Xi, known as the foremost of the Four Femme Fatales because she was the first whose actions led to the downfall of a kingdom. Her entire life was a cycle of betraying and being betrayed."

"Betrayal?" Zu'an paused, surprised. He hadn't heard of this aspect before, and continued to read.

"The last emperor of the Xia Dynasty defeated her tribe. To sue for peace, the tribal chief offered various treasures, the most precious of which was Mo Xi herself."

"Jie was overjoyed and doted on her excessively. However, Mo Xi could never find true happiness, constantly plotting revenge for the ruin of her homeland and family."

"She deliberately seduced Jie to bring ruin upon his country. Later, she allied with a friend she had known since her youth, a man named Yi Yin, who had already pledged allegiance to the Shang tribe."

"In this way, Mo Xi, working with Yi Yin, collaborated with the Shang tribe from within, ultimately succeeding in bringing about the downfall of Jie's kingdom."

"Sadly, after achieving her great objective, the Shang Dynasty did not recognize her contributions. Instead, they exiled her as the 'femme fatale who ruined a kingdom,' leaving her reviled by the world."

"Mo Xi was first betrayed by her tribe, then she betrayed her husband, and finally, she was betrayed once more. Her entire life was a cycle of misfortune."

"Anyone close to her is destined either to betray her or be betrayed by her, even her master..."

Zu'an blinked, wondering what that last sentence implied.

He soon found out. Mo Xi glanced at him, then suddenly swept her long leg, sending the cold, gleaming spearhead directly at his throat.

The speed was so sudden it was virtually impossible to defend against.

Fortunately, Zu'an's cultivation had vastly improved. In the nick of time, he used his Spiritual Rhino Finger to clamp down on the spear's tip.

Mo Xi frowned. Kicking off the ground, her entire body seemed to surge with power, transferring an immense force along the spear shaft.

Zu'an's heart jolted. Not daring to meet the force head-on, he flicked his wrist, causing the spear to spin in mid-air, deflecting the power transmitted from her.

Mo Xi's hand had already been bruised and bleeding from the impact, but she didn't even glance at the injury. She instantly gripped the spear shaft again and thrust it forward.

Zu'an once again deployed his Spiritual Rhino Finger, but this time, he showed no mercy.

Under their combined immense strength, the spear shaft quickly bent like a fully drawn bow.

Then, with a crisp snap, the spear shaft broke directly into two pieces.

Mo Xi was clearly startled, staring at the half-length spear shaft in her hand with a confused expression.

Zu'an was equally puzzled. This spear seemed to be of ordinary quality; even a random martial artist's spear wouldn't be worse than this.

Logically, the weapons held by these Valkyries shouldn't be of such mediocre quality.

He suddenly recalled that when he summoned Daji last time, her weapon had also been drawn by him using the Tiger Tally.

Since he hadn't drawn any weapon this time, Mo Xi had brought this ordinary-quality long spear with her.

At that moment, Mo Xi seemed to react and bolted straight out.

Her firm, rounded thighs indeed seemed to possess explosive power; her whole being moved like a female leopard.

Zu'an was stunned. A Valkyrie was running away? What was going on?

He quickly gave chase, simultaneously commanding her to stop through their soul connection.

Although Daji couldn't speak, he could issue commands to her through their souls. Aside from commands involving physical contact, she had always executed all other orders without hesitation.

Mo Xi's figure suddenly halted. Zu'an's heart swelled with joy; it seemed the Tiger Tally summoning had indeed successfully established a soul contract between them.

But his smile quickly froze. He noticed Mo Xi suddenly waved her hand, conjuring a scissor-shaped illusion. She then made a cutting motion in the void between them.

Zu'an instantly felt a profound emptiness, the connection to her soul severed.

Mo Xi seized the opportunity, pushed off the ground with her legs, and used her sheer physical strength to leap directly over the courtyard wall.

Zu'an was genuinely annoyed now. What in the world was wrong with this Mo Xi!

He pushed off with his toes and immediately pursued her.

He quickly spotted Mo Xi, who was weaving through the city.

Zu'an observed her for a while, realizing she possessed no cultivation, relying entirely on her physical strength.

Despite this, her physical prowess was comparable to that of a low-level cultivator.

Seeing the opportune moment, he flashed forward, blocking her path.

Mo Xi realized the immense disparity in their strength and that escape was futile.

Yet, she did not resign herself. Instead, she slightly bent her legs, assuming an attack-ready stance, her eyes filled with cold resolve.

"We've established a soul contract," Zu'an said in a low voice. "We should be partners. Why are you attacking me?"

She didn't respond, her gaze turning even colder.

"I know your soul isn't complete, so you can't speak, but you can understand me," Zu'an said, suddenly recalling the information that had just entered his mind. His heart stirred. "Is it because you've experienced too much betrayal that you no longer dare to trust anyone?"

Mo Xi still didn't respond, but a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes, as if she was recalling an unhappy memory.

Zu'an thought for a moment, then said, "I won't make grand vows with you. This is simply a transaction: you help me, and I'll help you increase your power and search for your scattered soul so you can fully recover. What do you say?"

Mo Xi appeared to be considering his offer, but showed no sign of relenting.

"I know you don't trust others. How about this: from now on, I'll pay you first, and then you'll do the work. That way, there's no question of trust or betrayal, alright?" As Zu'an spoke, he tossed an Essence Fruit to her. "This fruit can enhance your strength. Give it a try."

He suddenly felt like a strange uncle trying to lure a little girl with a lollipop, but Mo Xi was proving so difficult that he had no choice but to resort to such methods.

Mo Xi snatched the Essence Fruit. She smelled its fragrant aroma and could feel her body's craving for it.

Still, her eyes remained cautious; she dared not casually consume anything offered by him.

In exasperation, Zu'an summoned Daji. "She was just like you at first," he explained. "She also ate this kind of fruit, and her power gradually increased until she's now almost at the seventh rank."

Upon appearing, Daji also noticed Mo Xi and looked at her with some confusion.

Mo Xi also looked at Daji, and both women felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity emanating from the other.

As Zu'an spoke, he took out an identical Essence Fruit and offered it to Daji.

In comparison, Daji was far more obedient than Mo Xi. She docilely opened her mouth, and after eating it, her face showed an expression of pure bliss.

Only then did Zu'an turn to Mo Xi and say, "See? No poison, right?"

The Essence Fruit in her hand seemed to call to her, and Mo Xi truly couldn't resist much longer. Still, she didn't dare swallow it whole, cautiously taking only a small bite.

To her surprise, as soon as it touched her lips, the fruit instantly melted and vanished down her throat.

Mo Xi was startled, and immediately began to retch nearby, trying to throw it up.

Zu'an looked on, speechless. Was this woman's caution not a little excessive?

"Don't worry," he reassured her, "it's good for you. Just swallow it."